For Leaders By Leaders

Why do high-performing, responsible leaders often struggle the most? Debbie Pearmain reveals the hidden truth: it's not a capability crisis, it's a capacity crisis. Drawing from 25 years in leadership development and her own burnout recovery, she shares how leaders move through three critical stages from functional stress to full burnout.   Through practical frameworks and proven strategies, this...

Why do some teams excel while others struggle, despite similar talent and resources? Scott Rintoul reveals how youth sports mirrors corporate dynamics, exploring the parallels between coaching and leadership. Drawing from his broadcasting experience and Better Sports Parents podcast, he uncovers why understanding individual motivation trumps generic team building.   This conversation will help you...

Mark McEachran from Adaptive Talent Inc. explores how AI is transforming executive search while highlighting the irreplaceable human elements of talent acquisition. He joins Kathy Andrews to unpack strategies for hiring leaders, from crafting compelling role narratives to conducting deeper interviews that reveal true character. Mark shares insights on avoiding common hiring pitfalls, leveraging te...

What if the secret to hypergrowth isn't about the latest marketing tools, but about completely abandoning your internal assumptions? In this episode, Michelle Rider, former Amazon marketing leader and creator of the Zero to 90 methodology, challenges leaders to stop believing their own story and start building from the customer's perspective backwards.   From her humble beginnings, secretly writin...

Leadership coach Mark Watson to dive deep into needs-based communication, a powerful framework rooted in the work of Marshall Rosenberg and popularised through Nonviolent Communication.   Tune into this episode as we unpack how this four-step approach – starting with the facts, naming feelings, identifying needs, and making clear requests – can transform the way leaders connect, build trust, and n...

Decision-making isn’t just about data, it’s about judgment, emotion, and leadership under pressure. Phil Neil, CEO of Founders Compass, brings a powerful perspective shaped by building a $70M company and losing it in a devastating fire.   Phil reveals how leaders can cut through information overload, develop sharper intuition, and navigate emotional patterns that influence critical decisions. This...

As a political refugee who crossed three countries before finding home in Canada, Anne-Marie Pham turned her lived experience into a career dedicated to creating workplaces where everyone belongs. She is now the Vice President of Engagement at the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion. In this episode, Anne-Marie unpacks why leadership demands courage and a willingness to get uncomfortable....

Today, we’re exploring how neuroscience and technology are reshaping leadership with Jaime Lama from the NeuroLeadership Institute. As a psychologist with 30 years in HR and consulting, Jaime brings deep expertise in guiding organisations through change.   Jaime breaks down how the brain drives behaviour, from survival instincts to the role of emotions in decision-making. We discuss emotional regu...

Leadership expert Tracy Hutton shares how focusing on strengths, not weaknesses, can transform your team’s performance and well-being. Drawing from her experience at Deloitte and lululemon, Tracy reveals why strengths based leadership isn’t just a feel-good idea – it’s grounded in neuroscience and proven to drive results. Learn how to overcome negativity bias, build better teams, and rethink feedb...

Dr. Ben Sporer is one of Canada’s foremost experts in human performance. With a career spanning 25 years in the Olympics, professional sports, and as a performance strategist for the Vancouver Whitecaps, Ben has mastered the art of building high-performing teams that deliver over the long haul. Kathy and Ben dig into the critical shift leaders need to make: from chasing outputs to driving meaningf...

Why do so many employee wellness programs fail, and what can leaders do to fix them? Employee benefit and wellness expert Dan Eisner unpacks what leaders can do. With a background in both accounting and HR, Dan shares insights on shifting employee expectations, personalised benefits, and generational divides. From health spending accounts to weight loss drugs and fitness trends, find out what actu...

Innovation expert Stephen Shapiro talks about standing out by focusing on what makes you truly irreplaceable. Drawing from his book Pivotal, Stephen shares why innovation is a capability, not a trend. Learn how to avoid shiny-object syndrome, embrace stability, and uncover your team’s real differentiator… plus a look at his teamwork tool, Personality Poker.   Tune in to this episode as we explore:...

Andrea Seale, CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society, joins the show to discuss the power of influence in leadership. Andrea shares her journey from communications and fundraising to the heart of nonprofit leadership, offering practical insights on how to rally teams, build effective partnerships, and drive change, whether you’re working with donors, advocacy groups, or policymakers.   Tune in to this...

Rachael Radford doesn’t fit the usual tech founder mold. From working on concrete formwork high above the Vancouver skyline to spearheading complex technology transformations, her journey is anything but conventional. In this episode, she sits down to unpack one of the most overlooked – and misunderstood – aspects of business: strategic execution. You’ll hear Rachael’s take on assessing organisati...

Shelley Frost, CEO of the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), joins the show to talk about leading one of BC’s most iconic and complex organizations. From early roles in a psychiatric hospital and juvenile jail to leading in tech and the arts, Shelley’s path has shaped a unique approach to leadership. She shares how managing unpredictability and diverse stakeholders prepared her to run the PNE – ho...

George Grombacher is a seasoned podcaster, former Fortune 500 advisor, President of Financial Consulting Professionals, and the Founder and Chief Community Officer of Money Alignment Academy. He sits down with Kathy Andrews to unpack the hidden impact of financial well-being, both personally and professionally.   George opens up about growing up with financial uncertainty and how those early exper...

What if the key to unlocking your team’s potential isn’t giving answers, but asking the right questions?   In this episode of For Leaders By Leaders, Principal of Wessels HR and Leadership Coach Tammie Wessels reveals how a coaching culture transforms teams. From her psychology roots to working with top Canadian brands, she shares hard-won leadership insights.   Hosted by Kathy Andrews, this conve...

In this episode of For Leaders By Leaders, I sit down with Chris Obst, a leadership and team development expert with over 20 years of experience coaching top performers and consulting for leading organizations. Chris is known for his powerful keynotes and ability to translate leadership insights into real-world strategies that drive impact. We dive into personal power—what it is, why it matters, a...

Ever wondered how servant leadership can transform your organization? In today’s episode of For Leaders By Leaders, Kathy Andrews is joined by Adam Weiss, CEO of OPISystems, to dive deep into the power of servant leadership. Adam opens up about his journey from engineer to CEO, leading a company that’s tackling the global issue of grain spoilage with cutting-edge technology. He shares how embracin...

What makes certain conversations so difficult? It's the internal conflict. We often avoid (flight), fight, or face them without skill. It's a challenge, but one that leaders can overcome.    Kathy Andrews is joined by renowned business coach John Nieuwenburg to find out what leaders can do. With over two decades of experience as a coach and a background as a senior leader in the industry, John sha...

In this episode of For Leaders by Leaders, we’re diving into the power of human connection and the role it plays in building thriving communities. My guest, Mark Koch, is a leader who truly embodies this mission. With over two decades of experience in community development, urban planning, and local government, Mark is the Managing Director of Community and Environmental Services at the Regional D...

Being a leader isn’t just about holding a title—it’s about making the right decisions when it matters most. Whether you’re leading a team of one, ten, or thousands, the way you lead determines whether you and your team thrive. Today, we’re tackling challenges every leader might face at some point: Toxic Scenarios. My guest, Megan Smith, is the Head of Human Resources for SAP North America, where s...

Welcome to another episode of For Leaders By Leaders, I’m thrilled to be joined by David Barrett, a visionary in internal communications and multimedia, who has spent nearly two decades at the World Health Organization, currently serving as the Internal Communications and Multimedia Manager at the WHO Regional Office for Europe. David’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. With a career that sta...

In this episode,  we deep dive  into the world of performance culture with Dr. Oliver Finlay. With over 23 years of experience as a performance director, coach, and physiotherapist, Dr. Finlay has collaborated with some of the most elite sports organizations in the world—including the English Premier League, National Hockey League (NHL), Formula 1, and Team GB Athletics. His career spans a wide va...

I’m thrilled to share this episode of For Leaders By Leaders! A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Michael J. Goldrich, the brilliant mind behind Too Many Hats, Too Little Time. If you’ve ever wondered how AI can actually help us work smarter (not just faster), Michael is the person to listen to. In this episode, he takes us beyond the buzzwords and into the real, practical way...